Disabled persons often have trouble in transferring from one location to another. Particularly in the case of wheelchair bound persons, it is often quite difficult to lift and transfer such persons to and from their wheelchair from and to, for example, a car, a bath or shower, or a bed. It can also be quite difficult to lift and transfer mobility devices such as wheelchairs and scooters after a disabled person has been removed therefrom. One or more persons are usually required to assist the disabled person.
There have been some inventive efforts directed at alleviating the problems associated with transferring disabled persons from one location to another. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,924, Brigman et al. disclose a disabled person transfer device for transferring a disabled person from a wheelchair to a vehicle. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,891, Reeve et al. disclose a hydraulically powered lift and transport apparatus for lifting and transporting wheelchair bound persons.
The aforementioned patents disclose devices which allow a disabled person to be lifted from a wheelchair or a bed to another location. However, the devices disclosed in both of these patents, as well as other known devices, have drawbacks in the areas of cost and complexity which could limit the potential mobility of a disabled individual. For instance, the disabled person transfer device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,924 requires extensive modifications to a vehicle as well as a modified wheelchair for use with the device. Also, the lift and transport apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,891 requires a remotely located hydraulic pump and 120 VAC current to power the various components of the apparatus. Furthermore, the devices disclosed in both of the aforementioned patents are essentially permanently installed, thus lacking in portability. Similar drawbacks exist for other known lifting and transferring devices.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a lifting and transferring apparatus for assisting disabled persons that is compact, lightweight, and portable for use in different locations. Preferably, such an apparatus would provide multiple pivot points for providing multiple degrees of maneuvering freedom when lifting and transferring disabled persons and their mobility devices and for providing compatibility with a wide range of vehicles.